Off-duty Texas officer fatally shoots armed burglar

An off-duty Houston officer fatally shot one of three burglars who broke into his home on Thursday

By Dale Lezon
Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON — An off-duty Houston police officer fatally shot one of three burglars who broke into his north Harris County home on Thursday, officials said.

The shooting happened about 9:30 a.m. at Waterside Court residential complex, 503 West Road just west of the North Freeway, said Deputy Thomas Gilliland, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Gilliland said the officer, a six-year veteran with the Houston Police Department, was alone in the house and asleep upstairs when the sound of breaking glass woke him. Grabbing his gun, he went downstairs and confronted three men who had broken a window to get into his house. One of the men carried a handgun.

Gilliland said the officer fired two shots at one of the burglars, who fled from the home with his accomplices. The officer, wearing only his boxer shorts, chased them.

Outside, Gilliland said, the armed attacker pointed the pistol at the officer, who opened fire again. In all, the officer fired six or seven shots.

The attackers continued to run, but the armed man had been wounded, Gilliland said. The officer, whose name has not been released, caught him as he tried to climb over a fence at the complex. The man struggled against the officer but was subdued and taken into custody. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

The other two attackers ran into a wooded area across the street from the complex. Authorities scoured the area using search dogs and a helicopter but were unable to find them. It is unclear if they were wounded in the gunfire.